some excerpts (it's a long and very worth-reading article):<P>"MICHAEL KAISER, who joined the Royal Opera House only 18<BR>months ago as its executive director, is to leave next year<BR>because of his unhappiness with the "elitist atmosphere" of<BR>Covent Garden. Friends said last week the 46-year-old<BR>American believes he will never feel settled in London and<BR>despises constant media criticism of the opera house. "<P>"His two predecessors as<BR>chief executive lasted only months in the job. "<P>"Kaiser has never felt happy with "the lords and ladies on the<BR>board", particularly the chairman, Sir Colin Southgate,<BR>acccording to friends. <BR>Also, he has not always seen eye to eye with Vivien Duffield,<BR>the deputy chairman, who has been a top fundraiser for the<BR>opera house for many years. "<P>"The daughter of the late business tycoon Sir Charles Clore,<BR>Duffield has personally given Covent Garden many millions and<BR>was a key fundraiser for the rebuilding." <P>"Duffield has now been asked by the government to retire as an<BR>opera house board member next February, though she will<BR>continue to chair the Royal Opera House Trust, which looks<BR>after fundraising. "<P>"Kaiser is understood to be in the running to be president of the<BR>John Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts in Washington, whose<BR>trustees include Hillary Clinton. "<P>"Few dispute that he has saved the opera house."<P> <p>[This message has been edited by grace (edited July 29, 2000).]

What bad news! Michael Kaiser has been a breath of fresh air at the ROH . He brings so much to the House:<P>- He has been the first Chief Exec. for a long time who has given ballet equal status with opera.<P>- The dancers have been very impressed that he comes to so many performances, including 4th and 5th casts.<P>- He has encouraged links with the modern dance community in London and the two smaller venues in the ROH have already been put to good use in this respect.<P>- Although there is still some way to go, he had started the process of making the ROH a customer orientated organisation.<P>- He impressed virtually all the groups he came into contact with.<P>- He has steared the ROH through a very difficult period with a schedule (not of his making) which was simply too ambitious.<P>- He has seemed genuine in trying to open up the ROH. It is not surprising that he has crossed swords with Vivien Duffield, who seems to be very much of the select club approach.<P>I see it as an indictment of the ROH establishment and the London press that they made life impossible for a leader of this calibre.<p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited June 18, 2000).]

To be honest Albrecht, the last thing we need is someone who will give in to the elitist groups and the opera first, second and third brigade. GBP 20m per annum of tax payers' money goes into the ROH. <P>Those who want a private club can set up another Glyndebourne (a private and successful opera house on the South coast).<p>[This message has been edited by grace (edited June 19, 2000).]

i'm with stuart! what a shame about this. a breath of fresh air is exactly what he seemed to be...and speaking as someone who has worked there: boy do they need it!<P>i'm not surprised they wore him down, though - they're SO good at THAT sort of thing..<P>wonder how long ross will last?

from the telegraph:<BR>"Last night, a pall settled over the company as one high-profile<BR> departure followed another. Last week, the music director of the<BR> Royal Ballet, Andrea Quinn, said she was not renewing her contract.<P> In the past month, the deputy chairman, Dame Vivien Duffield, has<BR> been told that she will have to leave the board by the end of the year<BR> and that she may also be removed as chairman of the fund-raising<BR> trust. Her exit, along with Mr Kaiser's, is bound to damage<BR> confidence among potential donors and directors."<BR> <A HREF="http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000148269364269&rtmo=V6Sk3sDK&atmo=llllljwx&pg=/et/00/6/20/nroh20.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000148269364269&rtmo<BR>=V6Sk3sDK&atmo=llllljwx&pg=/et/00/6/20/nroh20.html</A> <P>"Covent Garden remains an arts disaster waiting to happen." & "His successor will need nerves of iron and a poker face to cope with unrelieved pressures." <A HREF="http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000148269364269&rtmo=V6Sk3sDK&atmo=llllljwx&pg=/et/00/6/20/nroh120.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000148269364269&rtmo=V6Sk<BR>3sDK&atmo=llllljwx&pg=/et/00/6/20/nroh120.html</A> <P> <BR>November '99 article about Vivien Duffield... <A HREF="http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000148269364269&rtmo=aqW9q4uJ&atmo=HHHHHH8L&pg=/et/99/11/23/bmop223.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000148269364269&rtmo=aqW9q4u<BR>J&atmo=HHHHHH8L&pg=/et/99/11/23/bmop223.html</A> <P>and more re duffield (may 2000):<BR>"I'm perfectly happy for<BR> the press to write that I am feisty, rude and bad-tempered," she<BR> laughs. "I am." <BR><A HREF="http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/graphics/99/11/23/bmop223.jpeg" TARGET=_blank>http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/graphics/99/11/23/bmop223.jpeg</A> <p>[This message has been edited by grace (edited June 20, 2000).]

a day or so behind the times now, but sydney morning herald's take on kaiser's departure: <A HREF="http://www.smh.com.au/news/0006/20/text/features14.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.smh.com.au/news/0006/20/text/features14.html</A>

wednesday 21 june: Norman Lebrecht of The Telegraph says "When Kaiser leaves the *******, the heat will still be on at Covent Garden", and proceeds to trace the problem back to the end of the second world war... readable and interesting background to the current situation: <A HREF="http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000148269364269&rtmo=LldtKKbd&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/00/6/21/bmnorm21.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000148269364269&rtmo=Lldt<BR>KKbd&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/00/6/21/bmnorm21.html</A> <BR><p>[This message has been edited by grace (edited June 22, 2000).]

grace, many thanks for all the links on this crucial issue. Don't be discouraged that you have been doing all the running - it's one of those threads that everyone is interested to read about it, but few are close enough (or as reckless as me) to comment. <P>It remains very bad news. In the Telegraph, Lebrecht mentions money, but given that Kaiser has miraculously balanced the books, I have to believe that it goes deeper than that. Lebrecht talks about meddling from the Arts Council, but to be honest, the shenanigans over the past 5 years have shown that the Arts Council was absolutely right to be concerned about the lack of financial systems, the elite club atmosphere and other problems. A case could be made that they should have stood up more strongly to the arrogant ROH establishment, which takes such a large proportion of the (far too small) UK arts subsidy. <P>To be positive, Kaiser leaves the ROH in much better shape than when he arrived. I hope that his successor can carry the modernisation issues forward.

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